Simon Fraser University Acoustics Lab Features 128-Channel Immersive System!

Simon Fraser University, one of Canada’s top research institutions, has been at the forefront of sound and audio research since the late 1960s, when Canadian composer and foundational sound studies researcher R.M. Schafer founded the school’s Sonic Research Studio. Now the university has taken another pioneering step with the creation of a new, cutting-edge acoustics lab devoted to immersive communication and spatial acoustics processing. A recent grant allowed to the university to outfit the lab with a host of high-tech gear, including a 128-channel immersive system using loudspeakers from the professional audio company Renkus-Heinz. The university says that the goal is to leverage technology for the benefit of society. To that end, the new lab focuses on immersive communication, a blanket term that encompasses a variety of 3D multimedia applications, including surround sound, video, and spatial acoustics.

The lab project was spearheaded by Senior Professor Rodney Vaughan, who worked with a number of pro audio vendors to make the lab a reality. The British immersive pro-audio specialist TiMax

played a pivotal role, along with Renkus-Heinz and Canadian microphone maker Advanced Audio. The project was reportedly more than a decade in the making. Tim Bartoo, a senior developer at TiMax, says that Vaughan came to him with “a bold idea for an acoustic lab where we could push the boundaries of sound research.”

Rodney came to me over 10 years ago. …He talked about creating spaces where, for instance, you could have a bedroom on a noisy street that feels as quiet as the countryside. (He) is known for his expertise in radar and advanced antenna design, and he was confident that the equations for sound, though a different medium, would work similarly to those used in his previous research.

— Tim Bartoo, Senior Developer at TiMax

One of the most exciting projects we’re working toward is creating a sound-canceled room. Imagine a corner of the room where two people can have a conversation, and no one outside that space can hear it, thanks to acoustic isolation. Or a space where you hear nothing, even in a noisy environment. This kind of innovation hasn’t been done before.

— Rodney Vaughan, Professor of Engineering Science at Simon Fraser University

As is often the case in the world of academia, funding was a major obstacle, and the project took several years to secure the necessary financial backing. But when the money started flowing, Vaughan and Bartoo put together a team and began bringing Vaughan’s vision to life. Acoustic consultant Fred Gilpin joined the team early on in the development stage to help design the physical setup of the lab. He handled the precision of the speaker placement. According to Bartoo, Gilpin’s attention to detail was critical. “We have about five miles of custom cabling in that room,” said Bartoo. “Every microphone and speaker needed to be precisely located to ensure accurate sound replication.” The lab’s 128 Renkus-Heinz CX41 speakers work in tandem with 128 Advanced Audio microphones, all integrated via a Dante network to ensure seamless communication among the components. The system is built around two TiMax spatial processors, reportedly selected for their exceptional spatial functionality and flexibility. The lab needs this technological power and versatility because of the wide range of experiments planned for the space. Vaughan hopes to simulate complex sound fields and test new noise-canceling concepts, among other things.

The Renkus-Heinz CX41 speaker is a coaxial two-way design that uses a four-inch treated fiber cone and a supple Butyl surround, reportedly offering excellent transient response and solid output down to about 100 Hz (± 3 dB). The tweeter is a 1-inch soft dome with “smooth, low-distortion high-frequency performance to 20 kHz and beyond, with minimal high frequency beaming,” according to the manufacturer. Renkus-Heinz says that the CX41 speakers are commonly deployed in churches, theaters, performing arts centers, schools, sports venues, and other places “where size is a critical issue and outstanding sonic performance is required.” Gilpin said that he knew the CX41s would be perfect for this project, having worked with Renkus-Heinz before. “Phase response was crucial,” he said, “as much of the sound being tested is off-axis, and the CX41’s natural, transparent sound made it a great fit.”

One area of interest for Vaughan is enhancing room acoustics in overly reflective environments. He hopes that researchers will use the lab to develop systems that analyze a room’s acoustics and compensate for excessive reverberation, improving intelligibility and sound quality in challenging spaces. While such a system may sound familiar to Audioholics readers, it’s important to point out that existing room-compensation systems are most effective in addressing low-frequency issues. Researchers hope to develop new and more effective systems using advanced modeling and sound-field control. Bartoo says that he is especially excited about testing TiMax’s new reverberation subsystem in the lab.

We’ve incorporated four reverb engines that can create dynamic, localized reverberation in different parts of the room. With the lab’s configuration, we can simulate anything from a cavernous cathedral to a tight, controlled acoustic space. It’s going to be fascinating to see how well these reverberation patterns replicate reality in such a controlled environment. We recently completed our first 128-channel recording. We walked around the room, talking and clapping, and when we played it back, you could pinpoint exactly where the sounds were coming from. When you closed your eyes, you could visualize who was where in the room. It’s pretty neat.

— Tim Bartoo

The university says that the new acoustics lab is already attracting attention within the academic and research communities, and that there are several proposed projects in the pipeline. The lab has only been in operation since late 2024, and it continues to evolve as the interest in, and potential for, immersive communication research at the university expands. Many groundbreaking audio companies, from Dirac to Hypex to PSB, are direct results of university research. It’s not hard to imagine that the next generation of audio innovation might come from Simon Fraser University’s fascinating new lab.

More information: Simon Fraser University